On the nature of sectarianism
from the introduction to the Sri Krsna Samhita:

The people of India and other countries may be divided into two
categories- the asslike and the swanlike. Of these two, the asslike are in
the majority. The swanlike are in the minority. Swanlike people abstract
the purport of the scriptures for their own advancement and thus benefit
themselves...
Everyone has the right to discuss spiritual topics. Yet people are divided
into three categories according to their qualifications. Those who do not
posses independent power of discrimination are in the first category and
are called neophytes, or those with soft faith. They have no alternative
to faith. If they do not accept whatever the compilers of the scriptures
write as the order of the Lord, then they fall down. They are qualified
only for understanding the gross meanings of the science of Krsna; they
have no qualification for understanding the subtle meanings. Until they
gradually advance by good association and instruction, they should try to
advance under the shelter of faith. Those who have not yet succeeded in
connecting faith with argument are second grade persons, or
madhyama-adhikaris. And those who are expert in connecting these two are
perfect in all respects. They are able to attain perfection by utilizing
material resources in their independent endeavors. They are called topmost
persons, or uttama-adhikaris...

Sectarianism is a natural byproduct of the Absolute Truth. When acaryas
first ascertain and instruct the Truth, it is not polluted with
sectarianism. But the rules and regulations received through disciplic
succession regarding the goal and the method of achieving it are changed
in due course of time according to the mentality and locale of the people.
A rule that is followed by one society is not necessarily accepted in
another society. That is why one community is different from another. As a
community gradually develops more respect for its own standards, it
develops hatred towards other communities and considers their standards
inferior. These sectarian symptoms are seen in all countries since time
immemorial. This is prominent amongst neophytes and found to some extent
amongst madhyama-adhikaris. Amongst uttama-adhikaris, however, there is no
trace of sectarianism. Adherence to a particular standart is the prominent
symptom of a society. There are three types of standards-alocakagata,
alocanagata, and alocyagata. Alocakagata is when sectarianists accept some
external signs. Examples of alocakagata are tilaka, neck beads, saffron
robes, and the baptism that is practiced abroad.

The different activities practiced in the process of worship are called
alocanagata. Examples of alocanagata are sacrifices, austerities, fire
sacrifices, vows, studying scriptures, deity worship, constructing
temples, respecting the purity of various trees and rivers, dressing like
sannyasis, acting like acaryas, dressing like brahmacaris or grhasthas,
closing one´s eyes, respecting particular types of books, rules and
regulations in eating, and respecting the purity of particular times and
places. The examples of alocyagata are attributing personalism or
impersonalism on the Supreme Lord, installing deities, exhibiting the mood
of an incarnation of the Lord, speculating on heaven and hell, and
describing the future destination of the soul. The different forms of
these spiritual activities create divisions of sectarianism.

Differences that arise from places, times, languages, behaviors, foods,
dresses, and natures of various communities are incorporated within
people´s spiritual practices and gradually make one community so completely
different from another community that even the consideration that everyone
is a human being may cease to exist. Due to these differences there is
disagreement, cessation of social intercourse, and fighting, even up to
the point of killing one another. When an asslike mentality becomes
prominent within the kanistha-adhikaris, they certainly indulge in these
things. But if they develop a swanlike mentality, then they do not take
part in quarrels; rather, they endeavor to attain a higher level.

Madhyama-adhikaris do not quarrel so much about external standards, but
they are always attacked by philosophical disagreements. Sometimes they
condemn the standards of neophytes and establish their own standards as
superior. They condemn the neophytes deity worship in order to establish
the worshipable Lord as formless. In such cases, they are also considered
asslike people. Otherwise, if they had a swanlike mentality and a desire
to attain a higher level, they would respect others practices and inquire
about higher topics. Contradictions actually arise only due to asslike
mentality. Swanlike persons consider the necessity for different practices
according to one‘s qualification, so they are naturally detached from
sectarian quarrels. In this regard, it should be understood that both
asslike and swanlike people are found amongst the kanistha-adhikaris and
madhyama-adhikaris. I do not expect that asslike people will accept this
book with respect. If neophytes and madhyama-adhikaris become completely
indifferent in regard to the contradictions found in various practices and
try to advance further, then they become swanlike persons. Then they are
our respectable and dear friends. Although swanlike personalities may
accept a particular practice from birth or childhood according to
instructions they have received, they nevertheless remain indifferent and
nonsectarian.

The religious principles that will be explained and established in this
book are very difficult to name. If these principles are given a
particular sectarian name, then other sects will oppose them. Srimad
Bhagavatam has therefore extablished sanatana-dharma as satvata-dharma, or
religious principles related with the Absolute Truth. Another name for
these religious principles is Vaisnava-dharma. Asslike Vaisnavas fall into
the categories of Saktas (followers of Durga), Sauras (followers of the
sun-god), Ganapatyas (followers of Ganesa), Saivites (followers of Siva),
and Vaisnavas (followers of Visnu). But swanlike Vaisnavas are
nonsectarian and, therefore, rare. These five types of above-mentioned
spiritualists, as found in India, are named according to their respective
qualifications. Human beings have two types of tendencies-arthic, or
material, and paramarthic, or spiritual. Material tendencies include
maintaining the body, constructing a house, marrying, begetting children,
studying, earning wealth, material science, factory work, acquiring and
maintaining assets, and accumulating piety. Although there are some
similarities between the activities of human and animals, the material
endeavors of humans are nevertheless superior to the natural tendencies of
animals. If after executing their material activities human beings do not
take shelter of their constitutional activities, then they are called
two-legged animals.

The constitutional activities of a pure soul are called sva-dharma, or one´s prescribed activities. The sva-dharma of a living entity is prominently
manifested in his pure state of existence. In one´s pure state of
existence this sva-dharma is present in the form of spiritual activities.
All the above-mentioned material tendencies become succesful when
dovetailed with spiritulal activities, otherwise they cannot independently
help one attain the highest goal. From engagement in material activities
up to the awakening of spiritual activities is called the preliminary
stage of God consciousness. From this preliminary stage up to the
uttama-adhikari stage there are innumerable levels. Inquiring about truth
of the material world is called Sakta-dharma, because the predominating
deity of the material world is goddess Durga.

All behavior and practice instructed in Sakta-dharma is helpful only in
the preliminary stage. Such behavior and practice is meant to bring one
closer to spiritual life, and materialistic people may be attracted by
this only until they begin to inquire about the Supreme Absolute Truth.
Sakta-dharma is the living entities initial spiritual endeavor, and it is
extremely essential for people of that level. When the preliminary stage
is further strengthened, one attains the next level. One then considers
the energy of work and the superiority of heat over dull matter, and one
therefore accepts the sun-god, who is the source of heat, as one´s
worshipable deity. At that time, Saura-dharma is awakened. Later, when one
considers even heat as dull matter and animal consciousness as superior,
one attains the third stage, Ganapatya-dharma. In the fourth gross stage,
Lord Siva is worshiped as the pure consciousness of the living entities,
and Saiva-dharma manifests. In the fifth stage, the consciousness of the
living entity worships the supreme consciousness, and thus Vaisnava-dharma
is manifest. By nature, there are five types of paramarthic dharmas, or
spiritual duties, which have been known throughout the world by different
names at different times. If one considers all the different dharmas that
are current in India and abroad, one can see that they certainly fall
within these five categories.

The religious principles taught by Mohammed and Jesus Christ are similar
to the religious principles thaught by Vaisnava sects. Buddhism and
Jainism are similar to Saiva-dharma. This is scientific consideration of
truths regarding religious principles. Those who consider their own
religious principles as real dharma and others religious principles as
irreligion or subreligion are unable to ascertain the truth due to being
influenced by prejudice. Actually religious principles followed by people
in general are different only due to the different qualifications of the
practitioners, but the constitutional religious principles of all living
entities are one. It is not proper for swanlike persons to reject the
religious principles that people in general follow according to their
situation. Therefore, with due respect to the religious principles
followed by people in general, we will now discuss the living entities
constitutional religious principles.

Satvata-dharma, or nonsectarian Vaisnava-dharma, is the living entities
constitutional, or eternal, religious principles. The Vaisnava principles
that are found in the Mayavada-sampradaya are only indirect imitations of
those principles. When such sectarian Vaisnava principles become
transcendental, that is, when they are freed from impersonalism, then they
become Satvata-dharma, or religious principles related with the Supreme
Truth. The different sampradayas, namely dvaita (dualism), dvaitadvaita
(simultaneous oneness and difference), suddhadvaita (purified oneness),
and visistadvaita (specific monism) that are found in satvata-dharma are
nothing but wonderful varieties of sentiments within the Vaisnava science.
Actually the various sampradayas are not the result of differences in the
basic truth. Impersonalism is diametrically opposite to the science of
bhakti. Those Vaisnavas who have accepted impersonalism are not pure
Vaisnavas.